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ships for sailing them with no spirits on board, so that more than a thousand vessels were navigating the ocean without them-pronouncing the pledge of total abstinence from ardent spirits an indispensable feature of the Temperance Reform, &c., &c. It could not, however, be brought to resolve or declare against wine, or other liquors, in any manner or form whatever.

Under one of the resolutions of the body, the President and three other members were appointed a committee to prepare and publish an Address to the People of Virginia. This paper, which appeared accordingly soon afterwards, set forth a strong array of facts and reasonings to show the necessity of reform in the drinking habits of the country; and displayed the happy effects which had already flowed from the movement, in glowing terms.

A short time before the meeting of the Convention in Charlottesville, a newspaper, called "The Temperance Pioneer," had been established in Winchester, by the Young Men's Temperance Society of Frederick. During the Convention, this paper was transferred to the Executive Committee of the State Society, who transferred its publication to Richmond, and new-named it "The Southern Temperance Star." It was now published monthly in eight quarto pages, through the year 1835, and then ceased. It contained many things of great pith; but was edited and printed in so shabby a manner that it produced but little effect. N. R.

[To be continued.]

PRIDE AND HUMILITY.

I never yet found pride in a noble nature, nor humility

in an unworthy mind.-Owen Feltham.

COLONEL WILLIAM CABELL.

[We are indebted to our esteemed correspondent, N. F. Cabell, Esq., of Nelson, for a second communication relating to this distinguished patriot, containing some slight corrections and further particulars, which we add here to our former notice of him, with great pleasure.]

According to a record now before me, Col. William Cabell was born (not in 1727-30, but) in May 1729-30,—a mode of statement which refers to the old manner of noting both the legal and historical years, which formerly prevailed,—that is, as we should now say, in 1730.

The Convention which appointed him a member of the Committee of Safety was that which formed the first Constitution of Virginia;-or rather preceded it, the Constitution having been enacted in 1776, though the members who composed both bodies were nearly the same.

In alluding to the co-operation of relatives with his ef forts in the cause of Independence, mention was made generally of his "brothers." And as the reference was more especially to two of them who were nearer to him in age than the one there named, to avoid both confusion and injustice, some farther mention of these and other members of his family seems to be required.

Dr. William Cabell emigrated from Wiltshire, England, to this State in the first quarter of the last century. After remaining some years in lower Virginia, he advanced farther into the interior; acquired a large body of lands on both banks of James River, in what are now the counties of Nelson and Buckingham: settled in the former county near Swan Creek, on the Estate now known as Liberty Hall: became the founder of the family which in this country bears his name, and died in 1774, in his 87th year.

Tradition reports that he was a man of learning and science, distinguished in his profession, and enterprising and active withal that he was moreover of liberal principles in politics, and alive to the rights and interests of the Colony. He early impressed on his sons the importance of a regard to the public welfare; and that they might be qualified to discharge their duties as citizens, he gave them

such opportunities of education as the country then afforded; a lesson and an example, which, it is believed, have not been wholly lost on his descendants of later genera

tions.

Besides an only daughter, who married a Mr. Horsley, he left four sons, and to one of these, as so many branches from the original stock, are persons of his name in the habit of tracing their lineage. Of his sons, the eldest was the subject of our sketch, and hence, in public documents of an earlier date than 1774, he is recognized as Wm. Cabell, Jr.

The second and third sons were Joseph and John Cabell. Both of these gentlemen were members of the Convention, as they had been of previous Assemblies; the former as the colleague of his brother William in 1774, -the latter as the Delegate from Buckingham in 1775. And it is to them, I presume, that R. H. Lee refers, when, in his letter to Col. Wm. Cabell, heretofore published by you, he speaks of those of his [Col. C's] family with whom he had served in the Assembly.

Col. Nicholas Cabell, born in 1750, was much younger than either of his brothers, and at that time could scarcely have acquired an influence commensurate with theirs. He, however, commanded a company in General Lafayette's Contingent of troops at Jamestown, was ever afterwards an ardent Republican, became popular as such, and served during several terms in the Senate of Virginia.

Col. William Cabell married Margaret, the daughter of Mr. Samuel Jordan who resided on James River, near the Seven Islands. In naming some of his children, I inad vertently gave Landon the precedence in age of his brother William. The third daughter, long since deceased, was the wife of a gentleman who still survives; but the lady referred to as "still living" is his grand-daughter.

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Of Col. C. as of other men of mark-there were long current in this region, anecdotes indicative of the more striking traits of his character, and of the respect his fellow citizens bore him; but some of these are too nearly asso. ciated with private individuals, or relations, and others at this day have scarcely sufficient point or novelty to interest the public.

The Journals of the Colonial Assembly, if within our

reach, might throw some light on the part he early took in Public Affairs, and particularly in contemporaneous Legislation. But the originals of these records, (earlier than 1773) as I learn, were transferred to England by Lord Botetourt, and the State has not yet procured copies. In the Statutes themselves his name occasionally appears. Thus in 1758, 1764, 1765, 1775, I find him named as Commissioner for settling the accounts of Militia for services in the frontier wars against the Indians. So early as 32 Geo. II. the Assembly had passed" an Act for the Improvement of Arts and Manufactures." But this, from various causes, having proved inefficient, it appears that in 1762 William Cabell, Jr. subscribed, with many other gentlemen, £1 for 8 years, to make up bounties to encourage the raising of domestic wine and silk. In 1770 he and his brother Joseph became members of the Association for abstaining from the use of British manufactures, whose Resolves are given in your last number. I have also seen his name appended to several other documents of the years immediately preceding the Revolution-particularly that which records the famous meeting at the Raleigh Tavern, but they are not at hand for present reference. In 1765 he was appointed a Commissioner to obtain subscriptions for making the old canal around the Falls of James River; and again a Commissioner in 1784 to procure subscriptions to the stock of the Old James River Company-whose object it was to remove obstructions from the bed of that stream above the Falls, so as to render it navigable for batteaux.§ It thus appears that he was one of the first, and as tradition states, one of the most active and efficient, in promoting an improvement which however imperfect at that time, has since receivd a large share of the attention and patronage of the Legisla

ture.

N. F. C.

• Hening's Statues at Large, vii., 202, 232, vIII., 10, 124, IX., 61.

Ibid, vi., 568.

Ibid, vm., 148.

§ Act of October 1784.

LEVELLING UP.

It is agreed on all hands, I believe, that levelling down is a bad business, but some persons seem to suppose that levelling up (as they call it) is a good work. But is it so indeed? I confess I am strongly inclined to doubt the soundness of this opinion. For fill up all the vallies to the tops of the highest mountains, and what would you have but a lofty table-land as flat, and of course as dead and dull, as the lowest plain? You have made the landscape not more but less lovely to an elegant eye, because you have made it less earthly, and even less heavenly than it was beforefor, as the poet says,

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For earth hath this variety from heaven,
Of pleasure situate in hill and dale.”

So you have actually spoiled the scene, instead of mending it, by your improvement.

W. S.

THE PICTURE OF VIRTUE.

The following Lines supposed to be suggested by a Picture of Virtue representing her as a young woman meanly clad, treading on the image of Death, and with wings on her shoulders, are hinted from an old poem, entitled "Descripsion of Vertue," by Nicholas Grimoald, who wrote between 1530-1550. See Montgomery's Christian Poet, p. 62.]

Say, who art thou that hast an angel's face,
Yet wearest weeds of sorrow and disgrace ?
A maiden pilgrim, Virtue is my name,
And, far from home, I suffer scorn and shame
Unknown, unhonored by the passing throng,
Who spurn my counsels, and despise my song.'
Why treadest thou on death? I cannot die.'
And why hast thou those wings? To reach the sky;
For I shall shortly bid the world farewell,
And soar to heaven where all my kindred dwell.'

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